Brazil's STJ recognizes collective moral damages for illegal babaçu deforestation

The Superior Tribunal de Justiça (STJ) has recognized collective moral damages resulting from the illegal deforestation of babaçu palms in Santa Terezinha do Tocantins, Brazil. The ruling follows an appeal by the Public Prosecutor's Office of Tocantins (MPTO) against a previous decision that had dismissed compensation.

The illegal clearing of the palms was identified by environmental police in 2017. Minister Maria Thereza de Assis Moura noted that the babaçu palm holds special constitutional protection in Tocantins and carries significant environmental, social, and cultural importance, particularly for traditional communities.

The court emphasized that the requirement to restore degraded areas does not exempt the responsible parties from the obligation to pay for collective moral damages, as environmental reparation must be comprehensive.